Dale and Lori Stevermer
Trails End Farm was started in 1916 by Dale's grandparents, Ed and Elizabeth Stevermer. They had a diversified farm selling purebred Chester White hogs and Milking Shorthorn cattle. They raised eight children on the farm. Dale's parents, Bernie and Celie, were married in 1959 and continued the farm operation. They raised corn, soybeans and pigs.
Dale went to college at Iowa State University. He worked for the Farm Credit System in Osage, Iowa for two years and returned to the farm in 1988. Lori (Bentz) grew up on a corn, soybean, and hog farm near Truman, and went to the University of Minnesota. They met while she was a salesperson for Wayne Feeds and were married in 1990.
Trails End Farm has adapted from a farrow-to-finish operation to its current business as a 2,000-head finishing operation. The family also farms 450 acres of corn and seed soybeans. The manure from the hog operation is used for fertilizer on the fields.
In 2023, the Stevermers added six solar panels that provide 36 KW of electricity for the farm. Lori has been involved in the animal nutrition business for 38 years and works for Alltech.
Dale and Lori have three adult children. Brett is a mechanical engineer and his wife, Tressa, is a pharmacist. Adam is an Extension educator for 4-H Youth Development in Mower County. Beth is currently enrolled in law school at Drake University. The children are not involved with the day-to-day farm activities.
Dale and Lori have been active in Faribault County 4-H through the years, both when their kids were members and now as volunteers. Lori served on the Minnesota Pork Producers Association Board for nine years, including two as president. She is president of the National Pork Producers Council and is in her sixth year as a board member. Dale spent six years on the Minnesota Pork Board, including one as president. He's currently serving on the National Pork Board.
In 2023, Dale gave a presentation in Japan to the G7 ag ministers on the sustainability practices he uses on his farm. Trails End Farm is featured in a video highlighting the sustainability practices of U.S. pig farmers. It is used by the USDA Foreign Ag Service and the U.S. Meat Export Federation in foreign markets.
Dale was appointed to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s AGREETT Advisory Board. On the local level, Dale served on the USC school board for 10 years, including six as chair. Dale and Lori helped with Easton's 150th town celebration in 2023. Through the years Dale and Lori have been active in numerous pork promotion activities at local, state and national levels.